Coin chute



Nov. 3, 1942.

W. PATZER ET AL COIN GHUTE Filed April 25, 1940 w'zlz'am/ '1 I rImam-ATL- ok/ 9/ INVENTORS 7475/2, ATTO Patented Nov. 3, 1942 COIN GHUTE4 I William Patzer and Walter A. Tratsch,

, Chicago, 111.

Application April 25, 1940, SerialNo'. 331,514 2 3 Claims.

This invention relates to coin testing devices and particularly thoseknown as gravity testing chutes, wherein a coin moves down an inclinedpassage relative to various testing mechanisms and is ultimatelydirected into an acceptance or reject opening,

More particularly, the invention relates to a type of chute wherein thecoin departs from the end of a runway into space, and the path ortrajectory of the coin together with certain physical characteristicsthereof determines the ultimate movement of the coin into an acceptanceor reject passage, there being a magnetic field adjacent the end of therunway, which is efiective to determine the trajectory of the coin,depending upon certain electrical and physical characteristics thereof.j

A principal object of the invention is the provision in a coin chute ofthe class described, of means for efiecting the discharge of coinelements which have a metallic constituency analogous to that of alegitimate coin and which metallic constituency permits the coin elementto move through the magnetic field in a manner to cause its acceptance,notwithstanding the fact that the coin to be rejected does not haveother necessary physical characteristics corresponding it to alegitimate coin.

Viewed from another aspect, it is an object of the invention to provide,in a coin chute having kineto-magnetic coin testing means adapted tocause coins of a certain diameter andhaving a metallic constituencyincluding nickel, to follow a certain trajectory, the combination ofauxiliary testing means for causing the discharge of coin elementshaving a sufficient nickel content to cause them to follow the requiredtrajectory but having a diameter greater than that of the acceptablecoin.

Other objects, advantages and novel aspects of the invention reside incertain details of construction as well as the cooperative relationshipof the component parts of the illustrative. embodiment describedhereinafter in view of the annexed drawing, in which:

Fig, 1 is a fragmentary perspective of. a coin chute employing theinvention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the interior of the chute showing aportion of the gate cut away to show the coin passage and relation ofshown in Fig. 2 whereinja chute body in the form of a plate I0, providedwithopposite ofiset vertical edge portions ll, constitutes a housing ormounting for the testing means, and a downwardly inclined runway I2 isdisposed to guide coin elements. from an entrance opening 13 thereabove,in the general direction of a reject exit l4 and an acceptance exit [5arranged in the space below, beneath the lower terminal I20, of therunway.

The chute passage is closed oii through its major extent by a gate l6(Fig. 1) mounted to swing on a horizontal pivot I1 and moved from anormally pendent passage closing position outwardly of the plate H] byaction of a lever [8 which moves a cam arm l9 against a roller 20 on thegate so as to open the passage and permit sidewise discharge of coinelements therefrom into a return chute 2.! which leads ultimately to thesame discharge point as the reject exit I4.

The testing means includes a permanent magnet 22 (Fig. 2) arranged withits. pole pieces aligned with the lower terminus I2a of'the runway so asto propagate a strong field across the direction of movement of coinelements into the enlarged area between the lower end of the runway andthe exits HI and -I5.

The exits l4 and I5 are defined by simply leaving the bottom edgeportion of the chute body unobstructed and placing at one side of thechute a rebound anvil 23 having an inclined wedge-shaped edge 24'disposed so that certain coin elements, following a certain-trajectoryfrom the end of the runway, will rebound from the anvil past anintermediate deflector or segregator 25 into the passage designated atl5 and defined between the segregator 25 and the lefthand offset wallportion H of the chute body. An elongated impact bar 26 of steel or thelike is positioned against the wall portion II as an impact element.

The particular testing chute illustrated is intended to test'five, ten'and twenty-five cent coins of U. S. minting, and to this end there isprovided a testing deflector 21 below the end of the runway and abovethe reject exit M on a line that is closer to the segregator '25 thanthe anvil 23, the testing deflector '21 having a beveled edge portion 28inclined toward the reject exit. Situated between the testing deflector21 and the lower end He of the runway is a second testingdeflector. .29positioned almost in vertical alignment with the segregator 25.

In testing the three denominations of coin aforesaid, the field of forcefrom the magnetic means 22 plays an important role, the arrangementbeing such that legitimate nickels will travel down the runway at acertain velocity into and through the field of force of the magnet anddepart from the runway into space along the dash-dot trajectory tostrike the edge 24 of the anvil and rebound along the arrowed line intoacceptance opening [5. By virtue of the metallic content of thefive-cent coin, particularly the presence therein of an amount ofnickel, the electrical conductivity of the coin is relatively lower thanthat of the ten and twenty-five cent pieces which include appreciablequantities of silver, known to be more highly conductive than nickel. Asthe five-cent coin or nickel breaks into and through the magnetic field,eddy currents are set up in the coin, dependent-in strength, among otherthings, upon the resistance or conductivity of the metallic body, theeddy currents opposing the field which sets them up and thereforeconstituting a reactive force which tends to slow the coin down, or, inother terms, todissipate a certain amount of the kinetic energy of thecoin in its movement from the end of the runway. The trajectory of thefive-cent coin. thus influenced by the magnetic field as a result of thealloy or metallic content in the coin body, carries the coin onto theanvil 23 from which the coin'rebounds along another trajectorydetermined by the metallic content of the coin, particularly itshardness, to carry the coin into the acceptance opening.

Coin elements which are slowed down to a greater extent than thefive-cent coin naturally tend to drop along a shorter trajectory intothe reject opening [4, or as will shortly appear, directly onto thedeflector 21, which is likely to cause the coin to move into the rejectopening. If the trajectory is shortened, but not enough to 21 thatmovement into the reject opening is inevitable.

Because of the expense involved in producing an alloy having thenecessary electrical and metallic characteristics to carry it along aproper trajectory for appropriate rebound from the anvil, there havebeen only negligible attempts to devise spurious coin elements todefraud the coin chute in this manner. However, it has been found thatcertain legitimate coin elements of foreign countries, notably, forexample, the ten centavos coin of Mexico, are possessed of the necessaryqualities to successfully negotiate the v ,chute passage.

prevent the coin striking the anvil, the probability is that themetallic content of sucha coin will be relatively soft, and the coin instriking the anvil will lose energy because of its own resiliency andfail to pass the segregator 25, or if the coin should be fairly hard, itwill, under the foregoing circumstances nevertheless approach the anvilattoo low a speed t'oeifect the v necessary rebound.

The ten and twenty-five cent coins arestruck from an alloy which is morehighly conductive than the'five-cent coins and, in consequence, the areslowed down to a greater degree in passing the magnetic field andtherefore drop at a shorter trajectory and engage the deflector 2! at acritical angle, provided the coins are of legitimate minting, to bedeflected toward the acceptance opening l5. The angular disposition ofthe runway l2 and the particular disposition of the magnetic fieldproducing means 22 are sufiiciently critical to cause the ten andtwentyfive cent coins to approach the testing deflector 21 at a criticalangle, from which a very slight deviation wouldresult in movement of thecoins into the reject opening. The secondary deflector 29 also plays animportant role in defeating the use of coin elements having a very highdegree of conductivity, with the object of causing such coins to droponto. the deflector 21 for movement into the acceptance opening.Spurious coin elements having such a high degree of conductivity dropshort onto the secondary deflector 29 and are eitherdeflected along atrajectory which will carry them into the reject opening, or aredirected at such. anangle toward the deflector The present invention hasfor its primary object the provision of means arranged to permitlegitimate U. S. coins, particularly five-cent pieces, to pass along theproper trajectory for acceptance, but to arrest coin elements followingthis trajectory but having a larger diameter than the five-cent U. S.coin.

The novel fraud-preventive or testing means, as seen: in the sectionalview of Fig. 3 particularly,.comprises a deflector 3D pivotally mountedas at 31 on the outside of the gate l6 and having an offset coinengaging portion 32 projecting through an opening 33 in the gate acrossthe coin passage at a point spaced from the terminal or lower endportion [2a of the runway I 2, a distance sufficient to permit thepassage of a coin as large as a twenty-five cent piece and also topermit passage of the legitimate five-cent coin without interference.

The deflector 30 is also provided with an offset counterbalancing arm 34(Fig, 2) on which is an adjustable balancing screw 35 by means of whichthe sensitivity of the deflector may be appropriately gauged-and set tomaintain the offset deflecting portion 32 thereof thrust forward (to theleft in Fig. 2; to the right in Fig. 3) in a direction generally towardthe lower end of the runway so .that the deflector may yield appreciablywhen struck by a coin for the purpose of avoiding too abrupt an arrestof the coin and one which might cause the coin to rebound accidentallyalong a path ultimately leading toward the acceptance opening. By makingthe deflector yieldable, it is also possible to dispose the samesomewhat closer to the trajectory of acceptable coins, so that in theevent of a very slight or brushing contact of such coins therewith,otherwise acceptable coin elements will not be accidentally rejected.The pivotal movements of deflector 30 are limited by the engagement ofthe offset coin engaging portion 32 thereof with opposite margins of theopening or slot 33, the range of movement, in any case, being suiflcientso that the coin engaging portion will lie in the path of coin elementshaving a diameter greater than that of a nickel, and to pivot aftersubstantially arresting the coin element to permit the same todropdownwardly between the runway and the deflector.

From the foregoing description, it will appear that the inventioncontemplates and provides a means for causing the rejection of coinelements having a metallic constituency which renders the same resistantto the induction therein of eddy currents to the same or a greaterextent than that which characterizes the legitimate five-cent U. S. coinor nickel, and which would therefore cause such coins to follow the sameor a broader trajectory than the nickel in passing through a magnetictesting field where the coin to be rejected has a greater diameter thanthe coin to be accepted.

In the prior art, diameter-testing means have been employed in spacedrelation to runways for the purpose of preventing passage theredown ofcoin elements having greater than a certain diameter; however, suchdevices are not available for use in a testing chute of the classdescribed herein for the reason that said chute is required to test andpass coin elements of diflerent diameter, some of said coin elements, e.g. the quarter, having a diameter greater than that of other coins, e.g. the five-cent piece, so that prior devices would not permit theirpassage down the runway in the required manner.

Viewed from another aspect, the nature of the testing operation, thatis, the modification of a coins kinetic energy by setting up thereinelectrical reactions depending upon the electrical resistance of thecoin whereby to cause the coin to follow a certain trajectory in leavinga runway, requires the spacing of the deflector with respect to the endof the runway so as to permit coins of various diameters to traverse therunway and yet deflect coins following the required trajectory or onewhich is broader than required for purposes of rejection, andparticularly to deflect or arrest such coin elements if the diameterthereof is too large.

The various advantages and objects of the invention may be accomplishedby modifications of the particular embodiment specifically describedherein, and it is intended that the appended claims shall include allequivalent arrangements fairly coming within their call,

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a coin chute of the class described including a downwardlyinclined runway and means providing a magnetic testing field across alower end portion of the runway and through which U. S. coins of fiveand twenty-five cent denomination pass in gravitating down said runway,said testing field preventing said twentyfive cent denomination coinsfrom following and allowing five cent denomination coins to follow acertain trajectory, the combination of means for deflecting coinelements having a diameter and a resistance to the induction therein ofeddy currents greater than that of a five-cent U. S. coin, said meanscomprising a deflector pivotally mounted for movement toward and awayfrom said lower end of the runway at a point opposite thereto, and meansyieldingly urging said deflector into a normal position toward saidrunway to be engaged by said coin elements having a greater diameter andresistance to deflect the same short of said certain trajectory and tocushion the speed of travel of said last-mentioned coin elements toprevent rebound of the same, said deflector in said normal positionpermitting the passage therebeneath of said five-cent U. S. coins infollowing said certain trajectory.

2. In a coin chute comprising a body consisting of two spaced platesproviding a coin passage therebetween and including a runway in suchpassage down which coins gravitate and means for creating a magneticfield across the lower end region of the runway to cause acceptablecoins having a certain resistance to the induction therein of eddycurrents to follow a certain trajectory in leaving said runway, thecombination of means for preventing coins having a greater resistancethan that aforementioned and a greater diameter than acceptable coinsfrom following a broader trajectory, said means comprising a deflectorarranged for pivotal movement on one of said plates and having a lowerend portion bent at right angles and adapted to extend through anopening formed in said one of said plates, the pivotal movement of saiddeflector being limited by said opening in said one of said plates,counterbalance means on said deflector tending to urge the lower endthereof toward said runway, said lower end portion being situated inspaced relation to said lower end of the runway in a position to beengaged by coins following a trajectory broader than said certaintrajectory for deflection to fall short of said certain trajectory, thepivotal movement of said deflector retarding the speed of travel ofcoins engaging the same to prevent rebound of such coins back into theregion of said runway. I

3. In a coin chute for testing coins of the U. S. five, ten andtwenty-five cent denominations and including a pair of spaced wallsproviding a runway down which coins gravitate together with means forcreating a magnetic field across the lower end region of the runway tocause coins of the five cent denomination having a certain resistance toinduction therein of eddy currents to follow a certain trajectory inleaving said runway and to cause coins of the ten and twenty-five centdenominations having a lesser resistance to induction of eddy currentsto follow a fore-shortened trajectory, the provision of deflector meansfor preventing coins having the same or a greater resistance than coinsof the five cent denomination from following said certain or a broadertrajectory, said means comprising, in combination, a member pivotallymounted on one of said walls, an opening formed in said one of saidwalls, a coin engaging portion extending laterally from said member,through said opening and into said runway, means tending to urge saidportion in the direction of said runway, said coin engaging portionbeing disposed at a distance above and away from said lower region ofthe runway to permit passage therebeneath of coins of the five centdenomination and adapted to be engaged by coins of greater diameter thansaid five cent coins for deflection to fall short of said certaintrajectory and to retard rebound of said coins of greater diametertoward said foreshortened trajectory.

WILLIAM PATZER. WALTER A. TRATSCH.

